why does my cat have dirty ears

Ear mites are another potential cause of dirt-like buildup inside the ears of your cat. They are a parasite that live on the skin debris, cell fluids and blood inside the ear and are highly contagious. Mites cause your cat's ears to itch, causing him to shake his head, flatten his ears or rub them against things. There are over-the-counter treatments available, but they are not always successful in killing the mites. One remedy for ear mites is to put a few drops of mineral oil in your cat's ears, massage it into the base and wipe it out with cotton balls or tissue.

The mineral oil will paralyze the mites. Then apply the ear mite solution to the ears. Follow up with a flea treatment that contains an element that controls and kills ear mites.Some bacteria naturally reside in the ear canal, Vetstreet reports. It wards off invaders trying to get further in to the delicate canal and ear drum.

In a perfect world, this natural bacterial flora does its job and all is well. In reality, Kitty gets scratched on her ear and the delicate balance is upset as bacteria finds its way in to the exposed skin, thus creating an infection. Vetstreet explains that some type of irritation -- such as a scratch -- to skin lining the ear canal causes an inflammation. This leads to an overproduction of wax, which is the ear's natural defense, but also a productive breeding ground for bacteria.

Unless treated, this leads to a vicious cycle in which Kitty scratches at the irritant, thus causing further damage and more irritation, which in turn leads to further scratching. Fortunately, veterinary science has developed several anti-bacterial treatments. It's just that most likely Kitty's cooperation level isn't part of the prescription.